SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION OF THE CAPACITATED VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM (CVRP)

Abstract

This paper focuses on the capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP), which is a challenging optimization problem faced by logistics companies. The objective of CVRP is to determine the optimal routing of a fleet of vehicles to deliver goods to a set of customers, subject to various constraints such as vehicle capacity and distance. The optimization of CVRP can lead to significant cost savings for logistics companies, which is why it has received a lot of attention from researchers and practitioners. To solve the CVRP, the author has proposed an interface based on Dash components, which allows users to input information necessary for setting up and solving the problem in the format of Microsoft Excel files. The service accommodates both the coordinates of the logistics network points and the matrix of distances between them as input data. The graphical visualization of the routes determined by the optimization package is also provided, making it easy for users to interpret the results. One of the key features of the service is its ability to automatically construct the distance matrix, which can be a time-consuming and error-prone process when done manually. The input data for the network of logistics points can be presented in the form of coordinates, and the service can estimate distances in two ways - the method of distances of Manhattan blocks and the method of Euclidean distances. This flexibility allows users to choose the most appropriate method for their particular use case. The service is hosted on the Google Cloud Platform, which enables users to access and work with it from energy-efficient mobile devices as well as computers. This is particularly important in the context of the energy crisis caused by the aggressor in Ukraine, where energy efficiency is critical. The service's accessibility from energy-efficient devices makes it a valuable tool for users seeking to optimize their operations in the face of energy constraints.